Stalemate
by Maddie Rose
Summary: Tobi is on the brink of destruction, much to the horror of the man she loves, Alex Summers. The only way to save her is with the help of someone he left behind long again. He made a vow to no longer involve himself in the battles of other mutants. It's a vow he will have to break. Havok/OC
1. Exit Wounds

**Chapter One: Exit Wounds**

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**A/N: So, here's the sequel! Hopefully this chapter isn't too confusing - technically it takes place before the events of the movie, but rest assured we're moving pretty much straight away into Days of Future Past territory. I hope you enjoy this first chapter, please do review! I had a great following for Checkmate - if you read that story then you already know who Tobi is, if you haven't then welcome. You don't have to read Checkmate for this to make sense, but it's good for a bit of background. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

They'd just finished having sex when he told her about Vietnam.

October Summers was curled in the sheets, a sheen of sweat covering her body as she inspected the diamond ring that glittered on her finger. It hadn't been long since the wedding, and it had been great to see her friends again after five years away from the mansion. Alex watched her with something like fascination as she played with the ring, before leaning across to pull her close and kiss her cheek.

Tobi couldn't help but smile. She didn't think she'd ever been happier. Married for almost a year, to the most amazing and yet also annoying man she knew. Alex was still fighting to catch his breath, causing his wife to smirk and raise her eyebrows. She rolled over onto her back, tugging the sheets around her loosely.

"Did I tire you out, hotshot?"

"Sure did." Alex seemed to hesitate, something flickering over his face. Tobi felt the wave of apprehension surge through him and she frowned. Alex sat up and tugged his clothes on, and she watched him worriedly.

"Alex? Is something wrong?"

"There's something I need to tell you." Alex swallowed hard as he turned to face her, zipping up his jeans. Tobi scrambled into a sitting position, feeling the concern and guilt radiating out from him – guilt, why guilt? Had he done something terrible? The thought of him cheating on her flickered through her mind, but she hurriedly pushed it aside. Alex would never do that to her.

"Yes?" Tobi probed carefully.

"I'm going to Vietnam."

The words were out quickly, painlessly. But it was the silence they left behind that caused the most damage. Tobi leaned back against the wall behind their bed, overcome with shock. Alex hadn't mentioned being enlisted. She had been talking to Danni on the phone recently, both of them sharing their concerns about their significant others possibly being enlisted. It was a huge digression from the original conversation, which had been Danni announcing her engagement to Tobi's old friend, Sean Cassidy.

"When did they enlist you?"

"They didn't." Alex raked a hand through his blonde hair, knowing his wife was going to hate him. "I put my name down."

"You did _what_?!" Tobi cried, pushing herself out of bed and tugging the sheets around her as she glared at her husband. The words hit her like a heavy blow. How could Alex have done such a thing? Did he really want to leave her behind? She stalked over to him, shoving him in the chest. "Why? Why would you do that? Do I mean nothing?"

"This isn't about us, Tobi!" Alex exclaimed, catching her wrists and tugging her close to him. "There's a war going on out there. I've been talking to some of old friends from the school. After we left and the war started…quite a few were enlisted. I want to help. Why can't you understand that?"

"I don't want to lose you," Tobi snarled, her green eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I can't do this, Alex."

"It looks like you'll have to." Alex tugged away from Tobi and she fell to her knees, pressing her hands over her face and trying to restrain her tears. He stalked into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water, trying to ignore the sound of his wife sobbing.

It was a month before Alex left for Vietnam. His relationship with Tobi had been patched up marginally, but he knew that she was still harbouring a deep resentment towards him for his decision.

Six weeks after his departure, she found out that she was pregnant.

* * *

Lilah Preston leaned over the balcony, closing her eyes and taking in the feel of the morning sun against her skin. It wasn't hot, not yet, but it soon would be. The metal rail was cool against her hands, and she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist. Smiling, Lilah leaned back against William Stryker, turning her head slightly as he kissed her cheek.

"Good morning. I didn't think you'd be up yet."

"I've got a busy day," Bill replied, causing her to roll her eyes. Of course. These days, his involved with Trask meant that he was _always_ busy. "It's my turn to have Jason this weekend. Do you reckon you could arrange something with Chloe?"

Lilah pressed her lips together. She hated it when Bill mentioned his ex-wife. It made her feel like she was some kind of mistress rather than his girlfriend. She didn't mind Jason so much, although the kid was a little strange. Strange, Lilah could handle. Chloe? She wasn't so certain about that.

"I'll try."

"Thank you." Bill spun her around to face him. "You know how much you mean to me, don't you?"

There was a flicker of something, a glimmer that died as quickly as it appeared in Bill's eyes. Lilah frowned slightly, but she nodded fervently. Bill had made it clear that there was no love lost between himself and Chloe. They were on civil terms, but that was it.

"Of course I do."

* * *

Tobi had always known that they were going to come for her. It was only a matter of time. Danni had rung up frantically, crying and saying that some military men had taken Sean and she didn't know what to do. Tobi had tried to calm her down, and said she would call her back. That had been a few months ago, and it had been the last time Tobi had spoken to Danni. Dread filled her heart at the prospect of Danni having been taken too.

She wasn't sure what to do. She watched Scott, the four-year-old that Alex didn't even know about. They corresponded by mail, and that was incredibly slow. Tobi didn't see the point in relaying the news to her husband when his reaction would only come weeks later. When he came back from Vietnam, that was when she would introduce Scott to his father. Right now, there were more pressing matters at hand.

The day they kicked the door in, Scott had just started at preschool. Tobi was in the kitchen and when she heard the sound of crashing, she grabbed the biggest knife she could find and marched out to confront them. They weren't taking her without a fight. She had her mutation, but she didn't want them knowing what she was capable of unless she really needed to demonstrate.

"October Summers." A muscular brown-haired man stepped forward, clearly the one in charge. He examined her critically. He probably wasn't too much older than Tobi's own twenty-eight years. "I'm William Stryker. I thought we might find you here. Where's your son?"

The thought that they knew about Scott disturbed her. Tobi's grip tightened on the knife, despite the fact that her palms were clammy. Her green eyes narrowed and she spat at the man's feet.

"Go to hell."

Stryker waved a hand, and one of the men fired a tranquilizer dart at her. Tobi dropped to the ground, narrowly managing to avoid the dart. She was fast, but she wasn't _that_ fast. Empathy was her main gift, and she doubted that it would do her much good in this kind of situation. The knife clattered out of her hand, and before she could reach for it, Stryker stamped down on her wrist.

Tobi grimaced as she felt the fragile bones break. She had a high pain tolerance. She didn't scream. Desperately, she attempted to pry Stryker's boot, ignoring the white-hot agony that seared through her arm at her efforts. There was a pricking sensation in her other arm, and defeat settled over her senses as she realised she had been injected with the tranquilizer.

"Shame." Stryker removed his booted foot as Tobi's vision started to blur. "I thought you'd be more of a challenge."

* * *

Lilah sometimes leafed through the files of the mutants that Bill had in his possession, seeing if she recognised any of the names. Bill was curious, yet persistent. He said it might help if she knew something about them. This latest file was on a woman named October Summers. It seemed like a bit of a stupid name to Lilah.

The woman was twenty-eight, same age as her. There was no photo on the file, but she was described as being 5'7. Lilah flipped through to see that October had been married for five years and had a four-year-old son, Scott. She frowned, glancing at Bill as he watched her intently.

"What happened to the kid?"

"Don't know." Bill shrugged his shoulders, stepping beside her. "We haven't been able to find him. Odds are one of Mrs Summers's friends found out what happened to her and is sheltering him. Do you recognise anything on the file? About her?"

"No." Lilah's brow furrowed, wondering why Bill would even ask. Surely he knew that she had never heard of the woman in her life. "Why?"

A pleased smile crossed his lips. "Good."

* * *

Tobi kicked and struggled in the infirmary. They were going to inject her with the serum again, and then she would lose her senses. She had total mind blanks while the serum was in effect, not knowing what was happening to her. She had the feeling that it was for interrogation purposes, but she never remembered. She tugged against the restraints with all the feeble strength she possessed.

"Calm down or this will only be harder," one of the men in white masks said.

She needed to remember! Tobi didn't know what happened when her eyes fluttered closed, in the space of time before they opened again. But she thought of seeing Sean's motionless body when they had first brought her into the compound, and she knew that she couldn't become like that. She was a fighter, she always had been. She couldn't stop now.

Thinking quickly, when one of the men tried to inject her with the syringe, Tobi dragged her arm back, letting the slice a shallow cut down her inner forearm. The man cursed, but she felt victorious. Somewhat. Perhaps the sight of the cut would trigger her memories. Maybe it would do something. Wasn't it worth a try?

Tobi felt the serum starting to take effect, her eyes growing heavy. Tears ran down her cheeks as she thought of Alex, over in Vietnam with no idea what was happening to her. She wondered what had happened to Scott. She hoped that her little boy was safe. It was the only thing she could ask for. Then everything spun and blurred, and Tobi fell into the darkness once again.

* * *

Lilah draped her arms around Bill's neck as he pressed her against the dressing table, kissing her fervently. Her fingers tightened in his hair, and he picked her up and set her on the dressing table, pulling her shirt over her head. Lilah laughed, letting her head fall back as his lips trailed down her neck.

He laughed, his breath hot against her skin, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing herself closer to him. She ran her hands under his shirt, her fingers tracing the muscles of his chest. Bill groaned and kissed across her collarbone.

Bill's hands crept under her shirt, sliding past her stomach. He squeezed her breasts through the fabric of her bra, and Lilah couldn't contain the moan of pleasure that escaped her. She yanked his shirt over his head as he continued to knead her breasts. She fisted her hands in his hair, and Bill's hands slid down her body to hook his fingers in the waistband of her denim shorts.

"What the hell?" Lilah drew back, frowning as she noticed a long scratch that extended up her arm, from her wrist to nearly her elbow. Bill drew away from her, something like panic flaring in his blue eyes. She raked a hand through her brown hair. "I don't remember doing this."

"Maybe you just cut yourself on something," Bill suggested, but his tone was slightly hurried, as though he was rushing to a conclusion.

"Maybe." Lilah jumped off the dressing table, readjusting her clothes. The past few days seemed like they had been a blur, more like dreams than memories. Sometimes it happened, that kind of surreal feeling. But she guessed it happened to everyone once in a while.

But there was a name lingering in the back of her mind. She was sure she didn't know anyone by that name, but it was still there. It was like a desperate cry for help…well, she couldn't place it.

_Scott._


	2. Vulcan

**Chapter Two: Vulcan**

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**A/N: Wow, guys. 40 favourites, over 50 follows...you're all amazing. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter. Now, this second chapter has one character from Checkmate (another OC), and I'm introducing another major character from the comics who wasn't in Days of Future Past, but I've no doubt you'll be able to pick up on exactly who he is ;) Please review, I love hearing what you guys think.**

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Alex Summers sucked in a deep breath of fresh American air, tilting his head back and letting the warmth of the sun roll over him. It was so good to be home after such a long time. It had been strange, being rescued from William Stryker by none other than Mystique. It had astonished him that she was no longer with Erik, but they had been pressed for time so he hadn't bothered with questions.

There was a deep excitement building within Alex as the car took him from the military airport. It was a long drive to his place, almost two hours. But that was enough time for him to mull over seeing Tobi again. They had parted on somewhat tense terms, but he was hoping that he'd be able to make it up to her. Pulling the creased old photo out of his pocket, Alex looked back over the Christmas photo from '63.

So few of them he had kept in contact with. Sean and Danni for sure, but the only person he had corresponded with during the Vietnam War had really been Tobi. She was his family now. He pushed his mind firmly from the other person who might have counted as that, once upon a time.

"Is that your girl?" The driver took a brief glance at the photo in Alex's hands. "She's good-looking. You married?"

"Yeah," Alex rested his head back against the seat, examining the gold wedding band around his finger. He'd never taken it off, because every time he'd looked at it during the war it had reminded him of Tobi, and home.

"Got any kids?" The driver persisted, causing Alex to shake his head. Damn, it was scary to think he was almost thirty. It made him feel…well, old in truth. Thirty years old, hadn't seen his wife in almost five years. When they finally reached his place, Alex took a deep breath and slid out of the car.

Gathering his luggage from the boot, Alex headed up to the door, trying to keep his heart from thudding with excitement as he knocked on the door. He licked his lips and felt his stomach jump when the handle turned. But it wasn't Tobi staring back at him – it was a paunchy middle-aged man squinting at him over a cigarette.

"Yeah?"

"I'm looking for Tobi," Alex frowned. Didn't they live here anymore? He'd never gotten any letter to say that they were going to be changing address. "Isn't she living here anymore?"

"Previous owner left two years ago." The man gave a shrug of his shoulders, taking a puff of his cigarette and regarding Alex critically. "You military or something?"

"Uh, yeah." Alex raked a hand through his blonde hair, feeling quite awkward. He had no idea where to find Tobi and somehow he doubted this man was going to be much help to him – but it was worth a try. "Look, do you know where the previous owner moved?"

"Sorry, not a clue." The man started closing the door, peering out at him again briefly. "Good luck finding him."

_Her._

Almost as soon as the middle-aged man had closed the door in Alex's face, the roar of an engine made him swing around. A beat-up Cadillac had eased itself up the driveway and was now just sitting there, engine still going. After a moment, the window rolled down, and a dark-haired man in sunglasses poked his head out. Alex frowned, tensing and preparing himself to use his mutation if he had to. He'd got it almost perfect by now.

"Need a ride, Summers?"

The man tilted his sunglasses down until they were perched on the tip of his nose, and Alex felt a jolt of recognition. The man in the Cadillac was none other than Elliott Rydeka, his one-time enemy and the other teenage mutant who had left the mansion at the same time as Alex and Tobi.

"Elliott?" Alex grabbed his things, walking over to the car incredulously as Elliott climbed out of the driver's seat, flashing him a grin. "How did you know where I was? Do you know where Tobi moved? I thought she would have mentioned it in her letters…"

"Look, there's a lot you've missed over five years." Elliott helped Alex load his things into the boot, before slamming it shut and pushing his sunglasses on top of his head. "Your wife isn't even the biggest of the mysteries. But it's a long drive to Huntington from here, so I guess I can tell you everything on the way."

Suddenly feeling troubled, Alex climbed into the passenger seat as Elliott backed out of the driveway. It was so weird to him that Elliott was able to find him, and he had no clue where Tobi was. That combined with Stryker's actions before he'd left Vietnam left him uneasy. Something was happening, and Alex didn't like it.

"So, start talking." Alex folded his arms over his chest as Elliott turned onto the motorway.

"It's crazy, man." Elliott shook his head slowly as he focused on the road. "I just…I don't even know where to begin. You know the people we went to school with, at the mansion? They've all started disappearing. Sean was first, Danni came next. We didn't know what was going on. I went back to Charles, but…he was a mess."

"I'm guessing he's the last mutant you touched," Alex remarked dryly, remembering all too well Elliott's ability to mimic the mutation of anyone he touched. Considering he had been able to find Alex when Alex had been on American soil less than twelve hours, it had to be that or some kind of tracking mutation.

"Yeah." Elliott gave Alex a meaningful look. "Over six months ago."

_Jesus Christ._ Where were all the other mutants if Charles was the last person Elliott had mimicked? It made Alex panic, and he was especially concerned for Tobi. Was that what Elliott wasn't telling him? Had Tobi gone missing as well? He exhaled deeply. Alex had thought he was done with problems after the Vietnam War. He'd told Tobi he didn't want to intervene in mutant affairs anymore.

"And you just…have no idea where any of these mutants are?" Alex asked with the slight hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"Honestly, no one does," Elliott said seriously. "But I'm taking you to someone who might be able to find out."

Alex frowned deeply. "I thought you were taking me to Tobi?"

Elliott laughed, but the sound was mirthless. "Alex, aren't you getting it? No one has seen October for three months. She's one of them. The missing mutants."

"So who are you taking me to see?" Alex asked, bracing himself for the worst. It most likely wasn't Charles, and he already knew that Erik was in prison for having assassinated JFK. He just wondered which of their old friends was still around, and who could possibly help them with this.

"I wouldn't exactly call him an old friend," Elliott said hesitantly.

"Jesus, can you like, not read my mind?" Alex glared at him, then shook his head. "It's creepy, man."

"Okay. Sorry."

* * *

Elliott had remained tight-lipped the entire trip, which had annoyed Alex to no end. It seemed his old friend was adamant on not giving up the mutant's identity, and they were going to have to see when they arrived. Whoever it was lived on a big property, away from town. Alex's guess was that whoever this ally was, he didn't like having visitors.

"So, anything much happen in Vietnam?" Elliott asked conversationally, as if they were talking about the weather and not a major war.

"You know, just the usual," Alex muttered. In truth, he still had nightmares about it. It wasn't something he liked talking about if he was given the choice. "But it was odd. Right before we were going to head back, some Major William Stryker was trying to take us to a private facility. I think they were going to use us for something. But Mystique saved us, and so we came home."

"Huh." Elliott sounded surprised as the car rolled up the gravel driveway and he pulled to a halt. "Sounds like maybe it could be linked. But Mystique in Vietnam? That's something you don't hear every day."

The two men headed up to the door, and Alex inspected the place. It looked like it might have been a small farm, once upon a time. Elliott grabbed the rusty old knocker and hammered it against the wood, causing Alex to look at him and raise his eyebrows.

"What, is this guy old?"

"No, you just have to be persistent," Elliott explained. After they received no answer, he demonstrated his point by hammering the knocker against the wood again. The sound of angry, loud footsteps made both men step back, and Elliott winked at Alex. "Might want to watch out. He's got a bit of a temper, and he's an Omega-level mutant to boot."

_Great._

A man opens the door, and Alex could immediately tell that man was pissed off. He was probably younger than Tobi by a little, mid-twenties at the most. He was slightly taller than Alex, with a lean build. His eyes were a bright, piercing blue – and Alex felt a surge of both horror and recognition as he swept his coal-black hair from his face. The recognition was echoed in the dark-haired man's own gaze, and the irritated look faded and was replaced by something else.

"Gabriel?" Alex asked in little more than a whisper, hardly daring to believe that it could be true. Because it couldn't be. He hadn't seen this man for over a decade. They had both been little more than children.

The dark-haired man's eyes became cold as ice. "What an unexpected surprise, big brother."

* * *

Tobi glared hatred up at Stryker as he paced in front of her, inspecting her with that all too familiar smirk on his lips. Restraints had her in place, but even without them, they both knew that she couldn't escape. It was truly belittling, but not quite as much as the periods of darkness, the blanks that made Tobi begin to question her own sanity.

Then there were things that didn't add up. There was a hickey on her neck, where there most certainly hadn't been before. Tobi took a deep breath as she watched Stryker inspect the vial of her blood, giving it a gentle tap. Why was she still alive? She wasn't even that special. She could read emotions and had enhanced reflexes. The others were dead, and many were more powerful than her.

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice came out hoarse. "I don't understand. You experiment on me and then inject something into me…and I just…go blank."

"You don't remember?" Stryker raised his eyebrows, reaching forward and tracing a finger down Tobi's cheek. She clenched her jaw and resisted the urge to spit in his face, tensing when his fingers stopped over the hickey. "I thought you might have."

"What…?" Tobi felt nausea come over her. _Stryker_ had been the one to give her the hickey? What exactly did she become during the periods of darkness? She was scared, because they were becoming more frequent. Her resistance to whatever serum Stryker kept injecting her with was fading. "You did that to me? You…you sick bastard…"

"You were perfectly fine with it." Stryker drew his fingers back and kneeled in front of her. "Don't you see? Your mutation is so subtle. Most people wouldn't think twice even if you used it on them. You can become a weapon, October. You just haven't been perfected yet."

"What happens when I black out?" Tobi whispered, almost too afraid to know. If she let him give her a hickey… "Did we…did you make me have sex with you?"

"The serum gives you a new personality, without the old memories." Stryker folded his arms over his chest. "I don't do anything you don't let me."

"I hate you," Tobi snarled at him. She didn't want to die, but she still didn't understand why he was keeping her alive. What purpose was she going to serve? Somehow, she got the feeling she didn't want to know.


End file.
